Oplu is a specialist search and recruitment firm for UHNW Family Offices, Private Households and Estates, and Luxury Brands and hospitality. The business was founded in 2018 by Antonia Edwards as Chace People. Antonia and Firat Bay, CFA, rebranded the firm to Oplu in April 2025. The specialism has been consistent since day one: senior-led recruitment into environments where discretion, judgement, and a proven track record determine the outcome of every hire.
We are senior-led by design. Clients speak to decision-makers, not juniors. Candidates are assessed for behaviour under pressure as much as for what sits on the CV. Searches are run with controlled disclosure, small shortlists and written profiles that give clients real information, not filler.
What we do
Oplu places senior support, operational leadership, investment, household, and luxury hospitality talent in environments where a mis-hire carries reputational, financial, and personal risks. Our mandates sit across three connected markets:
- Family Offices. Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, Directors of Operations, CFOs, CIOs and investment professionals for single and multi-family offices.
- Private Households & Estates. Estate Managers, House Managers, Housekeepers, Butlers, Nannies, Private Chefs, Governesses and specialist household staff.
- Luxury Brands & Hospitality. General Managers, Operations Directors, F&B Directors, CEOs, CMOs and senior leadership for luxury hotels, private members' clubs, wellness venues and premium brands.
Most principals who hire at one level eventually hire at another. A family that builds out its office often needs household staff for a new residence. A family that acquires a hotel needs leadership to run it. Oplu covers the ecosystem surrounding UHNW wealth, not a single slice of it.
Who we serve
Our clients are UHNW principals and the representatives who act on their behalf. We work with two audiences inside every engagement:
- Principals. Individuals and families who make hiring decisions directly, often through referral.
- Representatives. Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, Family Office Directors and advisers running searches on the principal's behalf.
Both audiences require the same qualities from a recruiter: discretion, pace, senior judgement and clarity. We run every mandate accordingly, regardless of who we are speaking with.
How we operate
We believe the quality of a search is decided before outreach begins. Scoping is where most hires are won or lost. We spend the time needed to align on authority, access, reporting line, hours, working pattern and the behavioural signals that matter in your specific context. A scoped brief protects both sides.
We run searches with controlled disclosure. Not all mandates are publicly advertised. Shortlists are deliberately small, not to save time but to force quality. Each candidate is profiled in writing against the scope, with compensation expectations, working pattern, notice period and operating style covered.
Referencing is staged, discreet and structured for behaviour, not just competence. In UHNW environments, trust is usually lost through process lapses rather than dramatic breaches. Our process is built around that reality.
What makes Oplu different
We cover the ecosystem, not a single silo. Most competitors pick one market. We recruit across Family Offices, Private Households and Luxury Hospitality. Principals move between these environments, and so does our candidate network.
We are senior-led on every search. No juniors or middle managers running senior mandates. No handoffs mid-process. Clients speak to the same people from scoping through to placement.
We prioritise track record over potential. At this level, CVs converge. What separates candidates is how they have behaved in comparable environments. We recruit on proven operating style, references from people who saw it work, and scenario testing before shortlisting.
We keep the team small by design. Oplu is a focused team, not a large agency. We take on fewer mandates than we could and deliver more on each one. Growth is measured in the quality of outcomes, not the volume of searches.
We know the market because we live in it. Many placed candidates become future clients. Referral is our primary growth channel. The network is the business.
Where we work
Oplu is headquartered in London. We place candidates across the UK, US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Follow the link to see our office addresses.
Technology, built around discretion
We have invested in purpose-built tools that make our process faster and more secure without diluting the judgement at its centre. OpluPortal gives clients live visibility of their search. OpluVideo gives principals real insight into candidate operating style before a first interview. OpluList keeps our curated talent pool organised by role and market.
Technology supports the search. It does not replace the people running it.
Technology for clients →
Technology for candidates →
Accreditation and membership
Oplu is a member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the UK's professional body for recruitment firms. We operate to REC standards on compliance, candidate handling and client conduct.
Next steps
- Hiring now. Start a confidential search with a scoped brief and a discreet process. Speak to Oplu →.
- Candidates. Explore current opportunities and submit your CV on our job board →.
- About the team. Meet the founding team →.
